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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: date · roll · bass · scale · capital · squash · swing · current

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — low music
  4. swing — music
  5. date — the fruit
  6. roll — a cake
  7. swing — to play on
  8. capital — a city
  9. squash — the sport
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — in music
  13. current — happening now
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. roll — a list
  18. capital — money
  19. swing — in golf
  20. current — electric
  21. squash — to crush
  22. current — of water
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. date — on the calendar

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com